NEW YORK David Wright hit a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth inning after the Mets bullpen blew another late lead for Johan Santana, lifting New York to a 5-3 victory over the San Diego Padres on Thursday.

Santana, just 9-7 in his first season with the Mets, left with a 3-1 lead in the eighth. It was the sixth time in 24 starts this season that the bullpen cost him a potential win, and in five of those the collapse came in the ninth inning. He has eight no-decisions, and in seven of those allowed two runs or fewer.

Second baseman Argenis Reyes had started a spectacular double play in the eighth to preserve the lead.

Wright's drive off Heath Bell (6-5) was his 21st of the season and came after he committed base running blunders in each of the first two games of the series and a costly error in New York's 4-2 loss Wednesday night.

The Mets moved within two games of NL East-leading Philadelphia and remained a half-game behind second-place Florida, which opens a three-game series at Shea Stadium on Friday night.

New York led 3-1 Thursday when Luis Rodriguez and pinch-hitter Edgar Gonzalez singled off Santana.

Manager Jerry Manuel was booed when he brought in Duaner Sanchez, who hit Scott Hairston with his first pitch, loading the bases. Pedro Feliciano came in and induced pinch-hitter Brian Giles to hit a grounder that Reyes turned into a forceout at the plate. Adrian Gonzalez then singled in a run, with Hairston sliding into third base and holding, and Joe Smith relieved.

Kevin Kouzmanoff hit a hard grounder near second, and Reyes made a diving stop to get it. He flipped to shortstop Jose Reyes, who then threw to first, where rookie Nick Evans stretched to the outfield side and fell as he made the grab.

Padres manager Bud Black and coach Craig Colbert were then ejected in the middle of the eighth after umpires wouldn't let San Diego make a double switch.

Scott Schoeneweis relieved and allowed Gerut's one-out homer, which tied it 3-3, but Endy Chavez singled off Bell leading off the bottom half. Two outs later, Wright drove the ball over the left-field wall, sending the Mets streaming onto the field.

The first game-ending home run of Wright's career made a winner of Aaron Heilman (2-6).

New York had lost five of its previous six games, dropping three games back of NL East-leading Philadelphia.

Josh Banks gave up three runs and nine hits in five-plus innings for San Diego. He is winless in 10 starts since beating San Francisco with a six-hitter on May 31 in his first start this season.

Santana gave up two runs in seven-plus innings. Chase Headley's second-inning drive, on an 80 mph changeup over the middle of the plate, was the 19th home run off Santana this year.

New York took a 2-1 lead in the fourth when Carlos Beltran doubled leading off, Daniel Murphy hit a tying single and Evans hit a go-ahead single. Murphy, playing his fifth big league game, singled leading off the sixth and scored on Evans' sacrifice fly off Cla Meredith.

San Diego wasted a chance in the sixth when, with runners at the corners, Kouzmanoff hit a broken-bat grounder. Adrian Gonzalez allowed himself to be tagged by Argenis Reyes, who threw to first for an inning-ending double play.

Notes:@ Even plate umpire Todd Tichenor gave Santana a hand. When the pitcher fell down in the sixth inning while fouling off a bunt, the ump extended an arm to help Santana back up. ... The Mets said ticket sales had reached 3.86 million, the third straight season they set a team record. New York projects it will draw 4 million in its final season at Shea Stadium. ... A handful of construction workers at Citi Field stood on the roof of the new ballpark and watched the game. One even danced to music played over the public address system. ... Headley got his first career steal when Santana caught him off first but he beat Evans' poor throw to second. ... Mets C Ramon Castro left in the fifth inning because of a sore right ankle.